Oil-can.



T. W. ALEXANDER.

OIL CAN.

APPLIOATIOK FILED AUG. 16, 1911.

1,016,121,- Paten ue d 1311.30, 1912.

WITNESSES INVENTOR,

liorneyS,

COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH 60., WASHINGTON. n. c.

THEOPHILUS W. ALEXANDER, OF BURLINGTON, IOWA.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed August 16, 1911.

Patented Jan. 30, 1912.

Serial No. 644,455.

To all whomit may concern Be it known that I, THEOPHILUS W. ALEX- ANDER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Burlington, in the county of Des Moines and State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements 1n Oil-Cans; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact descrlption of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to oil cans, especially designed for dispensing the 011 as well as for storing the same.

The object of the invention is to provide an improved dispensing can or receptacle which is air tight, durable, easy and rellable in operation and composed of the smallest practicable number of parts.

It has been my special aim to improve the arrangement of the valve whereby the air forced into the can therethrough has a clear and unobstructed sweep into the receptacle.

Other objects will become apparent from the following description.

The invention consists in the features of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter described, illustrated in the accompanying drawing, and specified in the appended claims.

I am aware, however, that changes may be made in the details of construction without departing from the spirit or sacrificing the advantages of my invention.

In the accompanying drawing, illustrating the preferred embodiment of my invention: Figure 1 is a top plan view of the can with the blow-tube and delivery spout in operative position. Fig. 2 is a vertical cross section of the same taken through said delivery spout and the filling nozzle from which the valve depends. Fig. 3 is an enlarged central section of the cap for the filling nozzle, the valve permanently secured thereto, and the lower end of the blow-tube which is detachably inserted in said thimble, and Fig. 1 is a detailed perspective view of the key for attaching and detaching said cap.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, 1 designates the body of the can and 2 the top thereof. Said top has three openings formed therein. The central opening leads to a filling nozzle 3 extending above the plane of the top. Both of the other openings are fitted with tapered thimbles or ferrules 4. and 5, respectively, depending from the top of the can. The ferrule 4 is normally closed by a stopper or cork 6 which may be removed to admit air into the receptacle when it is desired to instantaneously stop the flow of the oil from the receptacle. A tube 7 extends down into the can in substantially vertical position and has its upper end rigidly fastened to the top 2 around the thimble or ferrule 55. A delivery spout, preferably in the form of a goose neck, is removably fitted in said ferrule 5. A stopper 8 is placed in the outer end of the spout or said spout may be removed and the stopper placed in the ferrule 5, if preferred, when the can is not in operation.

The filling nozzle 3 is surrounded by an annular upstanding shield 9 extending above said nozzle and spaced a sufiicient distance therefrom to permit the cap 10 of said nozzle to be screwed onto or off of the nozzle by means of the key 11., illustrated in Fig. 1. The caphas lugs 12 to receive notches 13 in the key. The leverage obtained by the use of the key' enables the operator to screw the cap on so as to make an air tight joint without dificulty. The shield prevents the cap from being accidentally loosened or disengagedfrom the nozzle.

An opening is formed in the top of the cap 10 in which is permanently secured a depending thimble or ferrule 14. Permanently fastened to the lower end of this thimble or ferrule is a valve-cage 15, preferably of tubular form, having one or more ports 16 opening in a plane below. the top of the can. The sum of the areas of said ports, if there be more than one, or the area of a single port, however, should preferably not be as great as the area of the opening in the base of the valve. Within the valve-cage is a ball-valve 17, of any suitable metal, adapted to seat above said lateral port, and thereby close the valve, but normally adapted to rest in the lower portion of said valve below said ports. The valve-cage is preferably crimped at its lower end to retain the ball when it descends below the ports. The blow tube 18 carries a thimble or ferrule 19 similar to and adapted to be detachably inserted in the thimble 14.

When my can is to be operated to fill a lamp, or the like, air is forced into the receptacle through the blow-tube 18. The vent opening being closed by the stopper 6 and the stopper 8 being removed from the spout, the pressure which accumulates in the can above the surface of the oil forces the latter up through the tube 7 and out through the delivery spout. As soon as the supply of air through the blow-tube is discontinued, the pressure of air in the receptacle causes the ball-valve to rise and seat above the lateral ports in the valve casing, thereby cutting off the escape of the air via the valve casing and blow-tube. After the air pressure in the can has been sufliciently reduced, the ball-valve will drop again to its normal position below the lateral ports. As already explained, the pressure in the receptacle may be instantly relieved and the discharge of the oil stopped at once, as when a lamp has been filled, by removing the stopper 6.

It will be observed that the arrangement of the valve is a permanent part of the thimble on the nozzle cap insures a clear and un obstructed sweep of air into the can through the lateral ports in the valve cage, whereas, if said valve were placed on the end of the blow'tube, the lateral ports would be surrounded by the thimble on the cap when said tube is inserted into said thimble, thereby greatly retarding the air on its way into the can and seriously impairing the usefulness of the device, rendering it harder to operate, as well as requiring more time for discharging a given quantity of oil. It will also be noted that the attachment of the valve to the cap for the filling nozzle makes it possible for the valve to be readily removed, with the cap, for the purpose of cleaning, etc.

I claim:

1. The combination, with a receptacle of the character described, of a filling nozzle, a detachable cap for said nozzle having a perforation therein, a thimble permanently secured in said perforation and depending from the cap, a valve cage permanently attached to the lower end of said thimble and extending in line therewith below the same, said valve cage having ports in its lateral walls, a valve arranged in said valve cage and normally located below said ports, but also adapted to seat above said ports and close the passage through the thimble for the purpose of retaining the air pressure in the can, and a detachable blow pipe fitting said thimble.

2. The combination, with a receptacle of the character described, of a filling nozzle, a detachable cap for said nozzle having a perforation therein, a thimble permanently secured in said perforation and depending from the cap, a valve cage permanently attached to the lower end of said thimble and extending in line therewith below the same, said valve cage having ports in its lateral walls arranged below the plane of the top of the receptacle whereby the air forced into said receptacle has a clear and unobstructed sweep into the same, a valve arranged in said valve cage and normally located below said ports, but also adapted to seat above said ports and close the passage through the thimble for the purpose of retaining the air pressure in the can, and a detachable blow pipe fitting said thimble.

In testimony whereof, I aflix my signa ture, in presence of two witnesses.

THEOPHILUS W. ALEXANDER.

Vitnesses L. JoHNsoN, R. MENDELSON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

